Protect Andover Wildlife is an all volunteer group of Andover Massachusetts residents committed to finding ways to reduce the use of a class of pesticides that harm raptors and other wildlife.
Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) are used throughout the US. Even with proper use they inadvertently kill the animals that prey on the target rats and mice, damaging the population of predators that actually help reduce rodent populations!
We’re working to reduce the use of rodenticides across Andover and Massachusetts.
We're partnering with MassAudubon in conjunction with their Rescue Raptors program.
We will be asking the Town of Andover to approve Article 29 at Town Meeting April 28, 29, and 30. Our Article requests a Home Rule petition which would allow Andover to increase control over the types of rodenticides allowed in Andover .
Please join us to help protect Andover’s wildlife! Just add your name to the list of Andover residents and we will reach out to you.
Follow us on Facebook at Protect Andover Wildlife
Follow us on Instagram at Protect Andover Wildlife
Members of Andover's government joined me at the MA State House on July 1 to testify in support of S3093, our Home Rule Petition. The recording of the entire session is linked below. Thank you to all those who testified in person, remotely, and written!
Ellen Townson, our Select Board Chair can be watched at 3:43 minutes, I can be seen at 21:36, Mindy Chave of the Conservation Commission is at 43:09, and Pru Barker at 1:42:35. Thank you all for your support and for showing up. This is how democracy works. We am hoping for a positive outcome from our State Legislature so we can continue our efforts to make Andover's environment healthier for people, pets, and wildlife.
View here:
https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/5727
How can you help?
Call or write your state legislators:
Email or call Andover’s state congressional representatives (Rep Tram Nguyen or Frank Moran and Sen. Barry Finegold). Simply let them know that you support banning second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides.
Does emailing and calling work?
Yes! Congressional representatives are elected to promote the will of their constituents. In order to do that, they need to hear from you. Emailing is useful, but if you are short on time, calling is faster. You may be asked to leave a message. Tell them who you are, where you live and keep your message simple. They tally the number of calls in support of an issue and this helps drive their work.
When you write a letter/email include the following:
Introduce yourself. Are you a longtime resident? Are you a bird watcher? Do you walk the back roads? Are you a nature lover? Do you have pets that go outside?
The issue you are writing about: The use of SGARs (or rodenticides) and the detrimental effect on our wildlife and pets.
What you want them to do: support a statewide ban on anticoagulant rodenticides.
If you don't live in Andover you can find your state legislator here.
Follow us on Facebook:
Join the Protect Andover Wildlife Face Book group!
Send an email to donna.j.cooper@gmail.com to be included on our email list.
You can follow our progress on this website and/or follow us on facebook.
Write a letter/email to your national legislators
On the national level, please write to our US Representative Seth Moulton (Andover is in district 6), as well as our US Senators, Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey (Massachusetts) and let them know that you support bans on rat poisons.
Ask them:
to become a champion of this issue.
to work with other interested legislators to draft or sponsor propose legislation that would ban or heavily restrict the use and availability of AR poisons, both online and for use by pest control professionals.
to pressure the EPA to pass stricter regulations on anticoagulant poisons–or better yet–to ban them altogether and remove their registration as an available rodenticide.
to fight against efforts by conservative legislators to pass federal laws both independent of and in the 2025 Farm Bill that would stop states and local municipalities from being able to restrict or regulate pesticides, including anticoagulant rodenticides.
If you do not live in Andover: find your representative here.